Bed-covering.



No. 757,256. PATENTED APR. 12, 1904.

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B. w. BROWN. BED COVERING.

APPLICATION FILED H0120. 1902. I v

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UNITED STATES Patented April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,256, dated April 12, 1904.

i Application filed November 20, 1902. eria1No. 1.32.096. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern} Be it known that I, EDMOND WARREN BROWN, a citizen of the United'Stateaand a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of, Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bed-Coverings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to coverings for beds, couches, childrens cribs, hospital-cots, and any other structure on which a person may recline, and one purpose of this improvement is to hold a covering in place on a bed or its equivalent or in a raised suspended position.

It is well known that children, sick people, and others are so restless in their sleep that the bed-clothing becomes displaced and also that during the summer season of the year the bed-covering in contactwith a sleepers body is quite uncomfortable, particularly in the cases of invalids. My improvements enable the bed-clothing to be fastened in place easily and quickly'in such a way that the covering cannot be kicked off or displaced, thus affording the proper protection and warmth to a sleeping person. Provision is also made for suspending the bed-covering in an elevated position and in a way to form'a drapery, which depends from the suspended covering to the sides and foot end of the bed, thus keeping the covering from coming in contact with the person, while affording the desired protection against drafts of cool air.

I have provided means for use of the covering in connection with wooden, metallic, and other styles of beds, means for enabling the covering to be secured in whole or in part at the sides'and ends of the bed, and haveprovided adjustable or foldable supports for the covering.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course ofthe subjoined description, and the novelty will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of an ordinary metallic bedstead having my improved covering applied thereto in a suspended position. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the bed and the improved covering; Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views to be hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the covering, showing the arrangement of the casings and cords; and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the bed-covering applied to an ordinary wooden bedstead and fastened in place at the sides and'ends thereof. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through a portion of the foldable post, showing the hinged construction of said post and a means for fastening it in its upright operative position.

In Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, I have shown my improved bed-covering and means for attaching the same to ametallic bedstead. The bedcoveringA may be in the form of a sheet, counterpane, blanket, quilt, or any other style of clothing; but ordinarily said covering is embodied as a sheet of any suitable fabric, which is adapted to be suspended as well as clamped for the purpose of holding any additional bed-covering, such as a blanket, on the suspended sheet and out of contact with a person reclining on the bed, couch, or the like. In my improved bed-covering I employ a fastening-cord B and a suspension-cord C, each of said cords extending longitudinally and transversely with respect to the covering and attached thereto in a peculiar way, which enables the covering to be fastened or suspended along its side edges and its bottom edge, either wholly or partly. The fastening-cord B is adapted to be contained partly or wholly in sheaths or casings Z) Z). The sheaths or casings Z) are attached to the covering in any suitable way to extend longitudinally thereof, said sheaths or casings being disposed near opposite side edges of the covering and parallel to said side edges. The sheath or casing .72 extends transversely across the covering near that end portion thereof which is to be applied to the foot end of the bedstead, and this sheath or casing 6" is at right angles to the side sheaths or casings b, but it does not join the same, a narrow space or gap 6 being left between the adjacent ends of the longitudinal and transverse sheaths or casings. Each longitudinal sheath or casing 6 1s provided with a series of transverse slits b the same being spaced as shown by Fig. 6. The fastening cord B is continuous, and it is threaded or drawn through the transverse casing 6 and through the side sheaths 6, either partly or wholly, and thisfastening-cord is exposed through the gaps or spaces 12 in a way to form the loops a. It will be observed that the fastening-cord may be carried continuously through one side sheath, the transverse sheath, and the other side sheath; but the ends of the cords should be left free. These ends of the cords may emerge through any desired slit 6 of the series provided in the side sheaths b, and in Fig. 6 I have shown the cords carried outside of the side sheaths I) at the middle portions thereof. This construction enables the fastening-cord to be exposed in a way to fasten the bed covering at any desired point along its side edges. The suspension-cord C is connected to the covering and arranged thereon in a way similar to the fastening-cord B, and I provide the longitudinal sheaths or casings c and the transverse casing 0, the latter being separated from the longitudinal casings 0 to form the gaps or spaces 0 and said side sheaths have the slits 0 The longitudinal and transverse casings for the suspension-cord are attached to the covering within the casings for the fastening-cord, and the several casings and lengths of the two cords B C are attached to or confined on the covering so as to lie substantially parallel to each other. It is evident that the casings or sheaths, as well as the cords, may be made of any suitable material.

The improved covering herein described may be fastened to metallic or wooden bedsteads or to any equivalent of a bed, such as a couch or cot. When the covering is used in connection with a metallic bedstead, I employ means at the foot and head ends of said bedstead adapted to engage with the fasteningcords or with the suspension-cord. One embodiment of means adapted for use at the foot end of a metallic bedstead is shown more clearly by Figs. 3 and 4. Apost or rod D is preferably made in two parts, the lower part being indicated at D, and this post is provided with a clamp E, adapted to be fastened to a corner-post on the foot-section of the bedstead.

The post D is foldable with relation to the clamp in order that it may be adjusted out of the way when the covering is not suspended, and this foldable part of the post is preferably hinged to the fixed member D of the post, said foldable and fixed members being adapted to be fastened in alined relation by any suitable device, such as the pin d. (Indicated in Fig. 3.) The clamp E and the lower member D of the post are fast one with the other, preferably by casting apart of the clamp with the lower member D, said lower post member being curved or offset, as indicated more clearly by Fig. 3. The clamp E may be of any suitable style; but, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4, the clamp consists of members 6, pivoted together, as at e, and having their free ends united by a clamping-screw 6 This construction of the clamp permits it to be readily adjusted around the corner-post of the bedstead, and the screw serves to tighten the sectional clamp in a way to frictionally hold said clamp on the corner-post. The lower member D of the post is provided with means, such as the snap-hook F, for engagement with a loop a of the fastening-cord B, and the other post member, D, is provided with means, such as a snap-hook Gr, adapted to engage with a loop a of the suspension-cord C. The snap-hooks F G or their equivalents may be provided on the post members D D, respectively, at any desired height, and these hooks provide for the easy and quick attachment or removal of the fastening and suspension cords. It will be understood that a connected post and clamp is attached to each corner-post at the foot-section of the bedstead and that the two posts are arranged parallel to the cornerposts and on the inside of the bedstead. This arrangement allows the loops or of the fastening-cord B to be readily engaged with the hooks F when it is desired to fasten the covering A close down to the mattress; but if the coveringis to be suspended the loops at of the suspension-cord C are engaged with the snap-hooks G, which are provided at or near the upper ends of the posts D. If it is not desired to suspend the bed-covering, the posts D may be folded parallel to the foot-section of the bed, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4:, thus disposing said posts out of the Way and allowing the bed-clothing to be connected to the hooks F. By arranging the suspension-cord C within the fastening-cord B and attaching the loops of the suspensioncord to the hooks G the side and end portions of the covering A are adapted to depend from the suspension-cord in a way. to form a drapery A at the sides and lower end portion of the bedstead, as clearly shown by Figs. 1 and 2.

Any suitable means may be provided on the bedstead to fasten the free ends of the cords B or C. In the metallic style of bedstead I employ clamps H, which are equipped with the cleats I, said clamps adapted to be fas- .tened to the corner-posts of the head-section latter are fastened tothe cleats J. "I do not desire, however, to limit myself to the employment of cleats as the. means for securing the free ends of the cords, nor to the attachment of the cord-securing devices to the head section of the, bedstead, because .I am aware that said devices may be fastened to the side rails of the bedstead. I

- In the construction shown by Fig. 7 of the drawings the bed-coveringA is equipped with the fastening and suspension cords B C, respectively, and the sectional corner-posts, as well as the fastening-cleats, are used. These corner-posts, however, are not provided with clamps, such as E; but the lower members D of the posts are provided with plates is, adapt-- ed to be fastened to the foot-section of a wooden bedstead. The cleats I are provided with plates 2', which are fastened. to the side rails of the bedstead, and, if desired, the cleats J may be secured in elevated positions on the head-section of the wooden bedstead.

In lieu of the fastening and suspension cords I may use straps or any other equivalent material, and the posts on the foot-section of the bedstead may be modified in any desired Way with a view to securing the desired folding adjustment thereof.

Although I have described the suspension and fastening devices as being used separately, it will be understood that the cords B' C may be used jointly when the cover is suspended by the cord C that is, the cord B may be fastened to the bedstead in order to hold the drapery A in place. The cord C is curved lengthwise of the cover, as shown by-Fig. 6, to strain the cover laterally as well as'lengthwise when it is suspended, and this is advantageous, because the cover is prevented from sagging at the middle portion thereof.

The cords B O are provided attheir ends with metallic tips, which facilitate threading or drawing the same through the casings or their equivalents on the cover.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. As a new article of manufacture, a bedcover having cord-strands connected thereto and extending across one end portion and the two side portions thereof, said strands having means for engagement with a bedstead to fasten the cover thereto or suspend it thereover.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a bedcover having longitudinal and transverse casings attached thereto near the edges thereof, and a continuous cord threaded through said casings and having loops projecting through said casings.

3. As a new article 'of manufacture, a bedcover provided with side and transverse casings spaced to form intermediate gaps at the adjacent ends of said casings, and a cord extending through said casings and provided with loops at said gaps between the side and transverse casings.

5. A- bed-cover having independent fastening and suspension cords attached thereto, said cords extending longitudinallyofsaid cover, and the fasteningwcords being located on the cover betweenthe edges thereof and said suspension-cords. 6. Means for holdlng and suspending covers on beds, consisting of posts having means for supporting the same-adjacent to a foot-section of a bedstead, a single bed-cover, independent fastening and suspension cords attached longitudinally to said bed-cover near the side edges thereof, the suspension-cords lying adjacent to the fastening-cords, and means for detachably connecting either the suspensioncords or the fastening-cords to said posts.

7. The combination of independent sets of cover-su pporting devices arranged at different elevations and adjacent to a foot-section of a bedstead, a bed-cover,cord-fasteners at or near the head-section of a bedstead, and a cord. attached longitudinally to said cover within the edges thereof, said cord engaging detachably with either set of cover-supporting devices and with the cord-fasteners to secure the cover and form a drapery'at the sides and an end portion thereof.

8. Theeornbination of posts having means for attaching the same to a bedstead adjacent to a foot-section thereof, a series of fastening devices secured at intervals to said posts, and a cover having longitudinal independent fastening and suspension cords adapted for engagement individually'with one or the other of said fastening devices; said fastening-cords holding said cover firmly against displacement on the bed, and the suspension-cords being effective in maintaining the cover in a raised condition over the bed.

9. In'a'device ofthe class described, acorner-fixture having a sectional foldable post, a fastening-plate on one member of said post, and separate cover-supporting devices carried by the sections of said posts.

10. In a device of the class described, acorner-fixture having a foldable post, means for attaching one member of said post to a bedstead, and separate 'coverfastening and sus pension devices carried by said posts at different elevations thereon.

11. A bed-cover having within each side edge a continuous sheath which is provided at intervals with transverse openings or slits, and cord-strands each extending continuously through one of said sheaths and adapted to have its free end portions drawn through. either of the openings or slits therein.

12. A bed-cover having a fastening-cord, and a separate suspension-cord attached to said cover adjacent to the fastening-cord, combined with independent cover-holding devices having means for securing the same at difl'erent elevations on a bedsteadin position for engagement by said fastening-cord or the suspension-cord.

13. A bed-cover provided with fastening and suspension cords extending longitudinally thereof, said fasteningcords being located between the suspension-cords and the edges of the cover, and said suspension-cords being attached on curved lines to the cover.

14. In adevice of the class described, a corner-fixture having a sectional hinged post, means for locking the members of said posts in their operative positions, an ofiset clamp on one member of said post, and separate EDMOND WARREN BROWN.

Witnesses:

'JNO. M. RITTER,

H. F. BERNHARD. 

